Method and apparatus for registering cylindrical forms



Oct. 6, 1959 A. K.. TAYLOR 2,907,274

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING CYLINDRICAL FORMS Filed Aug. 22, 1955 v 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 i I in www' E su sa INVENTQR ATTORNEY oc't. s, 1959 A. K. TAYLO 2,907,274

METVHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING CYLINDRICAL FORMS Filed Aug. 22, 1955 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR CZrar A. 75l/jh?? ATTORNEY A; K. TAYLOR Oct. 6, 1959 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING CYLINDRICAI.. FORMS Filed Aug. 22, 1955 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORv CY-r/r wr A. Taj/or ATTORN Y Oct. 6, 1959 y A. K. TAYLOR METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING CYLINDRICAL F' ORMS Filed Aug. 22, 1955 7 sheets-sheet 4` INVENTOR l o a O 4. s w

l6, A, K TAYLOR 2,907,274

vMETHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REGISTERINGl CYLINDRICAL FORMS Filed Aug. 22, 1955 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR arf/)ur K, Taj/flor* A. K. TAYLOR Oct. 6, 1959 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING CYLINDRICAL FORMS Filed Aug. 22. 1955 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR CZ-r/r ur' A. Tcfy/or 5?/ A. K. TAYLOR METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING CYLINDRICAL FORMS Fnedxug. 22. 1955 7 Sheets-SheetI '7 1N VENTOR or ATTORNEY United States Patent METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REGIS'I'ERING CYLINDRICAL FORMS Arthur K. Taylor, Baltimore, Md., assignor to Taylor Machine Company, Baltimore, Md., a firm Application August 22, 1955, Serial No. 529,853 11 Claims. (Cl. 101-401.=1)

This invention relates to the arrangement of plates on the plate cylinders of rotary printing machines. Several patents have been granted for registering mechanisms wherein the plate cylinder and the impression cylinder are of the same diameter, but where these cylinders differ in diameter the machines of these previous inventions are not useful.

The present invention is related to a printing press of the general type illustrated by the Cottrell press in which an impression cylinder has therearound one or more plate cylinders on which the plates must be registered to print. In effecting this registration these presses may frequently be divided along a vertical line to remove the inking rollers from the plate cylinders so that these cylinders are readily accessible for placing plates upon them.

The principal object of the invention is the production of an apparatus and method for mounting a layout sheet on a carrier from which the accurate position of every plate may be quickly related to both the layout sheet and the plate cylinder so -that the plate may be quickly clamped into place with as little loss of time for shut down of the press as is possible.

Another object of the invention is to develop such a process and apparatus that the registering of the plates on the plate cylinder may be done with accuracy so that the number of trial runs and re-adjustments of plates that may be required will be reduced to a minimum. Another object of the invention is to produce such an apparatus for registering plates as will require a minimum of repair' and future adjustment after it has once been set up for use on a particular press for which it is'intended. Another object of the invention is the construction of an apparatus and method for registering plates on rotary presses which may be accurately and speedily manipulated by the pressman who usually operates. such presses and without extensive additional training.A

Other objects and advantages of the invention Will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings ini which: i Y 'j Figure 1 is a front perspective view ofa layout sheet or copy carrier. F

Figure 2 is an end elevation side of the carrier.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional viewV of the layout sheet carrier construction on line 3 3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a front perspective view of the carrier having thereon a layout sheet illustrating the apparatus and method of indicating upon a register device, the location in respect to the layout sheet of a ligure on a particular plate.

Figure 5 is a front perspective view of a plate after the register device has been aiiixed to it temporarily.

Figure 6 is a front elevational view of the carriage for the register device.

Figure 7 is an end elevational view of same, with its mounting bar in section.

taken from thev right hand perspective view of a plate cylinder with` a plate initially placed thereon to suitably locate it in relation to the register device.

- Figure 13 is a similar view with the arm of the plate cylinder carriage in place on the plate and register device.

Figure 14 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the bar attached to the plate cylinder on which the plate cylinder carriage rides.

Figure l5 is an end elevational view of the attachment the plate cylinder bar to the plate cylinder.

Figure 16 is a front elevational view of the plate cylinder bar with its carriage and registering arm thereon.

Figure 17 is a sectional view taken on line 17-17 of Figure 16 looking toward the carriage.

Figure 18 is a sectional view on line 18-18 of Figure 16.

Figure 19 is a diagrammatic end view of a plate cylinder with its bar and carriage thereon.

lIn the drawings similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

As the invention is illustrated as applied to a Cottrell press, the plate cylinders are also illustrated as being spirally grooved for the use of Claybourn plate hooks, these features forming no part of the present invention.

For the use of the present apparatus and method, a copy with essential detail is required. For re-print work this can be a sheet of the old run, for new work, a sheet of the stock is ruled up on a line-up table and proofs are attached to it in correct position, or proofs of the several colors are pulled on transparent material and attached in correct position on -top of each other. This sheet has been referred to here'n as the layout sheet.

The layout sheet 1 is attached to a cylindrical rotary carrier 2 which should have equal or greaterlength than V that of the plate cylinder and a cylindrical segment peripherally equal to or greater than the circumference of the plate cylinder to accommodate the s heet size capacity of the press. This cylindrical carrier 2 is mounted in astand 3 to rotate on its axle 4 and the stand mayhave a forwardly projecting shelf 5 for the convenience of the operator. The carrier preferably has an outer casing 6 and ends 7 on axle 4 and to the ends are attached angles 8 to which in turn is attached longitudinally eX- tending angle 9 and to angle 9 a strip 10 is attached and one edge of the casing 6 is attached to strip 10, as shown in Figure 3.

Spaced across the length of the carrier 2 are stops l1 which form a dead line for the attachement of the layout to the carrier. The layout is attached to the carrier with the top against the dead line and the layout sheet is attached by pressure sensitive adhesive tape to the carrier as illustrated at 12. The layout is preferably folded along its center and placed on the carrier in the center, which may be indicated by suitably placed stops, the fold line being aligned with the stops. The entire surface of the layout is thereby exposed, with the other end being drawn taught around the carrier and aflixed thereto by pressure sensitive adhesive tape.

The stand 3 has angularly upwardly projecting arms 13 thereon to which is attached a carrier bar 14 which is` held on the carrier frame by these arms 13. Bar A14 is an angle bar to assure rigidity.

Around the periphery of both of the ends 7 of the carrier are spaced radially extending holes 15. The rst hole counting from the dead line counter-clockwise, viewing from the right, may be spaced 9 inches from that line and each successive hole may be then spaced 6 inches apart and these spaces are preferably designated by letters of the alphabet arranged in a counter-clockwise direction viewed from the right hand end of the carrier, all the spaces after A being uniform and preferably 6 inches wide. The holes setting off space A are placed at each end of the cylindrical carrier in a line parallel to the carrier axis.

In order to hold the carrier in its rotation in its successive positions a toggle lever 16 is pivoted at 17 on bar 14. Identical levers are at each end of the carrier. 'Pin 18 slides freely in bearing 19 in the side of angle 14 which is substantially parallel to the surface of the carrier. The pin 18 has a pivot pin 2i) fixed therein which passes into bearing slot 21 in one end of the toggle lever 1.6. A leaf spring 22 mounted on bracket 23 on the angle bar 14 urges the pin 18 into seating position with the holes 15. The other end of the toggle lever 16 is pivoted to rod 24 at 25 and the levers at each end of the cylindrical carrier have their pivot points on the same sides of the respective pins 18 so that longitudinal movement of the rod 24 will remove both pins 13 simultaneously from their aligned holes 15 and the cylindrical carrier 2 can then be given furtherrotation and the pins 18 will fall into lthe next adjacent holes to mark off space B for the next registering operation. Boxes 26 cover the toggles 16 at each end. Rod 24 passes through brackets 27 on angle 14 to support it in operative position. Rod 24 is made ofy two sections joined together by sleeve clamp 28. Angle 14 is preferably reinforced with aV separate plate '29 screwed to its under surface to give it additional rigidity. Y

When the front of stop 30 affixed to the right hand end of frame 3 is contacted by stop 31 on cylindrical carrier, space F would be ready for registering.

A carriage 32 havinga back plate 33 and attached rollers 3401; the front and back thereof enable the carriage to move in a right line easily longitudinally of the side of the bar14 parallel to the carrier. The carriage is held on the bar by means of the top plate 35,

rigidly attached to the back plate by screws passing up thereto through a spacer from the back plate of the carriage, the spacer spacing lthe top 35 from the back plate 33 a distance slightly greater than the thickness of the angle bar 14 which the carriage nearby surrounds. The top plate of the, carriage Vhas a double flanged pin36 therein and passing therethrough into spaced holes 37 in the bar. A spring 38 .held by screw 3Q on the top plate of the carriage and being forked at the free end, straddles the pin and bears on one flange 40 which also limits the inward position of theA pin and the top flange 41 of the pin is engaged by one end of a forked lever 42, the lever being pivoted in bracket 43 mounted on the top plate 35 of the carriage and by means of this lever the pin 36 may be withdrawn from the openings 37 so that the carriage can be moved to the next opening 37v at which location the pin will automatically fall into place. A forked angle bracket 44 is mounted byrscrews 45 on the top edge of the carriage and this angle bracket has slots 46 through which the screws pass and which allow for adjustment of the bracket. Attached to the upper edge of the forked bracket 44 is a further angle bracket 47 having its right edge turned up as at 48 and having pins 49 projecting upwardly from the face of the bracket. Over these pins having correspondingly placed holes therein is registering device 50, the holes being indicated at 51. Theseholes' are so spaced in relation to the turned;y up edge 48 of the bracket as to require that the registerV device always be placed on the bracket 47 kwith the same face up.

Register device 50 is a transparent plastic having targets 4 placed thereon and for accuracy of identification, these targets are preferably colored, the lower one 52 being colored silver or white, the center one 53 red, and the top one 54 blue. Each of them has a prominently marked center 55.

The holes 37 are preferably spaced across the rod at two inch intervals. The register device itself is long enough to cover the space on the cylindrical carrier between any of the holes setting off the spaces A, B, C, etc. lt will be noted that the position of the bracket 47 permits the register device 50 to lie quite closely to the layout sheet. When any plate position such as that shown in Figure 4 on the layout sheet is to be registered with the corresponding spot on the plate cylinder, the register device is placed over the illustration as shown in -Figure 4 and with a pen any two significant spots on the layout sheet clearly shown in the illustration of the plate are marked such as those shown at 56 and 57. These are marked with a pen or stylus as shown in Figure 4. These spots could be marked first on the layout sheet, although this is not required. After the register device is marked, audits position on the carrier, as E18 marked thereon, that particular register device 50 is removed from the carriage as shown in dotted: lines in Figure 7 and placed top down on the plate 58 resting on shelf 5 as shown inFigure 5. The identification marks 56 and 57 are then located accurately by looking through the register device at the. corresponding Vconfigurations on the plate.

The register device is then temporarily attached to the plate with pressure sensitive adhesive tape as shown at 5.9 and that plate is then ready for register on the plate cylinder, in spacek E18.

The plateV cylinder 61 has permanently atiixed thereto rings 62 extending just inside the bearer rings 63 of the cylinder. These rings 62 have holes 64 spaced therein at each end of the cylinders so that a line through any two corresponding holes will be parallel to the cylinder axis. These holes are also lettered, or rather the spaces between them; from a dead line to the first hole is preferably 9 inches and going clockwise from the right end of the cylinder as one would face it at the right end of Figures l2 and 13, and as shown in Figure 19, the holes or spaces are lettered A, B, C, etc., as they were on the cylindrical carrier except that on the plate cylinder the direction of lettering is reversed. The spacing after the first hole is 6 inches to correspond with the spacing onthe cylindrical carrier. The .holes 64 on the ring 62 are threaded and in them extend Wing screws 65 passing through the respective ends of press bar 66. This bar may likewise be an angle bar which may have a reinforcing plate 67 screwed on the inside thereof, and with additional bearing blocks 68 on the face of the angle through which the screws 65 pass into the plate cylinder rings 62 to give the bar rigidity when fastened to the cylinder. The screws 65 have a groove beneath their wings for the forked spring 69 held to the bar -by screws 70 which not only hold the screws 65 from release from the bar, but tend to hold the screws in upon their release towardthe rings 62.

A carriage 72 is mounted on the side of the angle 66 which is substantially parallel to the plate cylinder as shown in Figure 16, this carriage beingin many respects similar to the carriage 32 on the cylindrical carrier. The

- carriage 72 has a back plate 73 and rolls 74 on which it slides Vsmoothly along the b ar 66. A top plate 7S is screwed to vthe bottom 73 and spaced therefrom a distance slightly greater than the thickness of the bar 66. A double flanged 4pin 76 passes through an opening in the top plate 75 of the carriage and is limited in movement therein by the bottom flange 77 on which spring 78 is held by screw 79V on the top plate of the carriage. The head of the pin 76 is engaged by one end of angle lever 80 to raisethe pin from the openings 81 in the bar 66. Openings 81 in the bar 66 are spaced exactly the same distancek apart, preferably two inches, as the openings 37 gemert" in the bar 14 on the cylindrical carrier. These openingsY or holes 81 are numbered consecutively from right to left, opposite to the numbering of the holes on the car.- rier bar 14. Since plates are registered on plate cylinders on both sides of the impression cylinder, it is convenient to have two series of numberingon the press bar 66, one reading upright when the bar is in the position shown on the cylinder at the left in Figure ,11, and another set of numbers on the edge of the other part of the angle bar 66 as shown in Figure 16 and these Will be right side up when the bar is in a position shown on the right of Figure 1l. The carriage 72 likewise has thereon a divided angle bracket 82 with holes 83 therein through which Y screws 84 pass into the back plate of the carriage 72 and because of the holes being elongated, that bracket may be adjusted in position.

A further forked angle bracket l85.is fastened to bracket 82 and in this bracket 85 is pivoted swinging register arm 86 which is held down snugly against the cylinder by spring 87 or up in the position shown in Figures 11 and 12 by the same spring. Arm 86 has permanently afxed thereto transparent plastic member `86 which has openings 88 therein, which have colored borders 89, colored silver, 90 colored red and 91 colored blue which =correspond with the borders of the target centers 55 on :the register device after it has been turned top down and :affixed to the plate.

The plate with the register device thereon is now ready :'for placement upon the plate roll -61 and this is done as :shown in Figure 12 in space E18. Not only is the for- :mer bottom edge of the register device having the holes .therein now upward on the press, but also, of course, the :register device has been turned over so that what was the :face in Figures 4 and 6 is now the back of this device. 'The purpose of coloring the target borders on the lregister 'device and the holes on the transparency of the arm 86 is to assure the accurate and ready placement of the plate on the cylinder in its proper position. After the plate with the registering device temporarily iixed thereto is laid upon the cylinder as shown in Figure l2, the arm 86 is brought down over'the device and the targets are accurately aligned with the holes as to centering and color, and when these are matched the plate is ready for locking onto the plate cylinder for a trial run. As shown in Figure 12, there may be several plate carriages with their corresponding arms because it has been found that one operator can register the register device with the plates in the time that it takes two operators to place the plates on the plate cylinder and two operators can work along the same plate cylinder at the same time. Also, operators can work on opposite plate cylinders, as shown in Figure l1, at the same time.

It will be apparent that with numbering and lettering of the diierent spaces that when any plate is given a marking, n the register device as belonging in a certain lettered and numbered space, the Aregister arm of the plate cylinder can be placed in that spot and then the plate accurately registered by means of the targets on the register device with the openings on the register arms on the plate cylinder. After the plate is locked into position the register device is removed and can be reused so long as care is taken that the indicating marks thereon are not confused with the later indicating marks that will be required.

By means of this device, substantially no error creeps in because of the cylindrical configuration of the plates. The -register device is placed on them with the marks on the device in actual contact with the corresponding parts of the plates and that contact is maintained until the devices are removed from the plates. Also the registry of the targets on the register device can be accurately viewed through the openings in the transparency on the arms on the plate cylinder.

It will be apparent that various modications can be made in the construction of the apparatus above dewithoutdeparting from the invention;

What is claimed as new and is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is: Y

1. Apparatus for registering cylindrical forms comprising a rotatable cylindrical carrier for a layout sheet of the intended plate arrangement, a guide extending longitudinally adjacent and parallelto the carrier, a carriage movable longitudinally on saidguide, ra register device releasably mounted lon and movable with said car- Iriage, means to indicate on said register device visible to the reverse side thereof, selected register points of a proper plate location from a layout sheeto'n the carrier, whereby said register device, upon removal from the carriage,

may be reversely placed upon and secured to a printing plate to register they selected points therewith.

2. Apparatus for registering cylindrical forms comprising a rotatable cylindrical carrier for a layout sheet of the intended plate arrangement, a guide bar extending longitudinally adjacent and parallel to the carrier, a carriage movable longitudinally on said bar, a register device releasably mounted on and movable with said carriage, means on said device and carriage to guide the placement of the device on the carriage in a predetermined position, means to indicate on said register device visible to the reverse side thereof, selected'register points of a proper plate location from a layout sheet on the carrier, whereby said register device, upon removal fromthe carriage, may be inverted, and placed upon and secured to a printing plate to register the selected points therewith, a removable guide bar mounted -longitudinally of and parallel to a plate cylinder while in the press and a carriage movable longitudinally on said last named bar, corresponding means on the carrier and plate cylinder and their guide bars to locate the carriage on the plate cylinder bar in circumferential and longitudinal relation with the location of the carriage on the carrier bar and means on said plate cylinder carriage and the device, coordinated with the guide means on said device and carriage on the carrier guide bar, to locate the register device when so inverted and attached to a plate on the plate cylinder in the location corresponding to that indicated by its mounting on the carrier bar carriage.

3. Means to register a printing plate on the plate cylinder of a press while in the press comprising graduations circumferentially of the press cylinder, a rotatable cylindrical carrier for a layout sheet of the intended plate arrangement, graduations on said carrier corresponding to those on the plate cylinder, guide bars extending longitudinally adjacent and parallel to the plate cylinder and carrier respectively, carriages movable longitudinally on each of said bars, means on the bars to relate the position of the carriages thereon to each other, a register device releasably mounted on the carrier carriage, means on said device and the carriage on the bar adjacent the carrier to guide the placement of the device on said last named carriage in a predetermined position, means to indicate on the said register device, visible to the reverse side thereof, selected register points of a proper location from a layout sheet on the carrier, whereby said register device, upon removal from the carrier carriage may be inverted, and placed upon and secured to a printing plate to register the selected points therewith, and means on the plate cylinder carriage and the device coordinated with the guide means on said device and the carriage on the bar adjacent the carrier to locate the register device when so inverted and with the plate attached in register corresponding to that indicated by its location on the carriage on the bar adjacent the carrier.

4. The registering means of claim 3 in which said car- -riage position relating means on the bars are graduated scales on both said guide bars, the graduations on one bar being arranged from the opposite end of those on the other.

5. Means to register a printing plate on the plate cylinder oi apress while in thepresscomprising a rotatable cylindrical carrier` for a4 layout sheet of Ythe intended plate arrangement, guidev bars .extending longitudinally adjacent and parallel to the plate cylinder -andv carrier respectively, carriages. movable longitudinally on eachLguide bar, corresponding means on the carrier andv platecylinderand their `guide bars to locate the carriage on the plate cylinde lation with the location of the `carriage vont the carrier bar, removable means. on the carrier carriage to indicate the proper location for a plate on the plate cylinder, means` on said. removable means and carrier bar carriage to guidethe placement ,of the removable means on the carrier bar carriage to. apredetermined position, said removable meansA being inversely transferable to adjacent the plate cylinder bar carriage and means on the plate cylinder bar Vcarriage coordinated with ythe guide means on the said removable means and carrier bar carriage to register the removable means with the location indicated by its mounting on the carrier bar carriage.

6. The registering means of claim 5v in which the plate cylinder guide bar is detachably secured to the plate cylinder.

7. The registering means of claim 5 in which said carriage position relating means on the bars are correspondingly spaced numbered graduations, those on one bar being numbered from one end opposite to those on the other.

8. The registering means of claim 5 including means to hold each of the carriages in xed position with respect to its guide bar.

9. The registering means of claim 5 including means at both ends of the carrier and its adjacent bar to hold the carrier in its selected rotated position relative to its adjacent bar and means to release said holding means at either end of the bar adjacent the carrier.

10. The process of registering printing plates on plate cylinders While in the press corresponding to their indicated position on a layout sheet comprising arranging scaled guides at right angles to each other adjacent both the sheet and the plate cylinder, placing a register device adjacent the layout sheet in a predetermined position with r bar in circumferential andlongitudinalre.

respect to the scaled guides. adjacent the layout, sheetp` marking upon the register device, visible from the ,op-,4

posite'face thereof, selected points of proper plate locfriv.

tion from the layout sheet, inverting the register device andfastening the same to a printing plate in the relative position indicated by the marking, placing the plate on,

the layout sheet on a cylindrical, support'l andr placingl scaled guideslongitudinally and circumferentially of both the plate cylinder andthe support, placing a register def. vicel adjacent the lai/Out sheet on the longitudinal` scaled, guide of the cylindrical support in a predetermined position, marking upon the register device, visible from the` opposite face thereof,l selected points of proper plate loca. tion froml the layout sheet, inverting the register device and fastening thefsame to aprinting plate in the relative position indicated by the marking, placing the plate on, the plate cylinder in the position indicated by the respective scaled guides and accurately locating the register device by indicia thereon being registered with indiciaY on the plate cylinder scaled guide, the indicia being coordinated'v with the predetermined position of placement of the register device vadjacent the layout sheet.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,095,542 Claybourn Oct. 12, 193.7 2,104,553 `Claybourn Jan. 4, 193,8` 2,131,323 Huebner Sept. 27, 1938 2,249,245 Hofrichtcr July l5, 1941 2,417,496 Huebner Mar. 18, 1947 2,492,528 Huebner Dec. 27, 1949I 2,559,533 Daniels July 3, 1951 

